The Regional Government of the Azores and the Luso-American Foundation will inaugurate a Forum of discussion on pressing issues in the transatlantic relation. Due to its geographical position and history, the Azores are both symbolically and politically important for the transatlantic relationship. The Forum will meet under a common theme biennially, bringing together politicians and academics from both sides of the Atlantic.
Half-way across the Atlantic, our goal is to make the Azores a “safe harbor” for in-depth discussions on how to make the Euro-American partnership increasingly effective in addressing common global challenges like poverty, global warming and international peace and security. Like many, we believe that a frank and constructive dialogue among policy makers can be a valuable tool in international relations.
The name of the Forum pays tribute to President Roosevelt’s remarkable role in Foreign Policy and highlights the special attention Franklin D. Roosevelt gave to the fascinating geopolitical issues posed by the Azorean Islands. In fact, the dates of the first forum will mark the 90th anniversary of the President Roosevelt’s stay in the Azores on his way to Europe at a time when he served as Assistant Secretary of the Navy.
* * *
The first Forum will be held in the Ponta Delgada, Island of São Miguel, on July 16-18, 2008, and will address the theme of public opinion and perceptions regarding the transatlantic relationship. Various surveys, including the Transatlantic Trends Survey, a project by the German Marshal Fund and the Compagnia di San Paolo (in which the Luso-American Foundation is also a partner) have consistently shown that there are many challenges in this area. Many on both sides of the Atlantic believe that cooperation between the Unites States and Europe is crucial in world politics and that the most urgent issues in global politics cannot be solved by the US or by Europe acting alone. But there is still some level of distrust on both sides and this can be addressed in part by a more effective public diplomacy in the part both of Europe and of the United States. The meeting will also discuss the upcoming US election and its effects on public opinion. The conference will analyze this and other issues and lay out specific policy recommendations.
